A CubeSat is a type of miniature satellite that is utilized for space research and often deployed from the international space station or launched as secondary payload on a rocket. Generally, a CubeSat is made of multiples of 10×10×11.35 centimeter cubic units and have a mass of no more than 1.33 kilograms per unit. Compared to traditional satellites, launching a CubeSat into orbit is significantly cheaper. Additionally, CubeSats use standardized hardware that is readily available to the general public and are relatively easy and cheap to build. As a result, CubeSats have become the industry standard microsatellite. Regardless of their size, CubeSats may be used for a variety of different missions. CubeSats may be used to capture images from space, send/redirect radio communications, perform atmospheric research, and perform other similar tasks. One of the main capabilities necessary for a CubeSat is maneuverability control. This is traditionally achieved through the use of a gas jet device. The gas jet device allows for performing latitude and longitude orbital corrections as well as controlling the satellite's attitude. As a result, a portion of the internal space within the CubeSat must be dedicated to a propulsion fuel storage. Due to the compact size and the deploying cost, a CubeSat is generally required to meet the aforementioned dimensions. Resultantly, the storage volume of the CubeSat becomes limited especially when a propulsion fuel storage is necessary.
It is therefore an objective of the present invention to provide an alternative CubeSat truss design that includes an integrated propulsion stowage in order to create additional storage space within the CubeSat. The present invention shifts propulsion fuel storage from the internal space of the CubeSat into the framework of the CubeSat. More specifically, the present invention utilizes a multitude of hollow structural members to make up the frame in order to allow for propulsion fuel to be stored within each of the hollow structural members.